The present invention relates to an instrumentation guide which can be used in orthopedic surgery. The instrumentation guide of the present invention may be used with intramedullary nails or rods.
Intramedullary nails are often used by orthopedic surgeons to secure a fracture of a long bone such as a femur. After the nail has been inserted into the intramedullary canal of the fractured bone, screws may be inserted through the bone and nail at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the nail. An instrumentation guide, or targeting device, is typically used to align the screws with openings in the nail. The instrumentation guide is generally secured to one end of the nail to fix the position of the nail with respect to the body of the instrumentation guide which is then used to align the drill and screws. It is also typical to obtain radiographic images during the procedure to ensure the proper alignment of the screws prior to drilling through the bone.